Haunted Houses 2 - Poltergeist (1982)
Summary
Jeff and Brian continue their Horror Joy exploration of haunted houses by discussing the 1982 classic Poltergeist.
They ask whether the film functions as a conservative celebration of the nuclear family's resilience or a quasi-Marxist critique of capitalism, unbridled consumerism, and television's pernicious influence on youth.
They discuss the housing development's erasure of history by building over a cemetery without moving the bodies, highlight the implications of downward mobility during the Reagan era, and explore Douglas Keller's scholarship on the film deflecting attention from real-world suffering onto occult figures.
They emphasize the isolating nature of suburban homogeneity and consider the film's messy narrative and contested authorship between Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper.
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